Have you ever happened to click on a link on a webpage only to be greeted with a frightening 404 Not Found webpage? It’s frustrating, right? That frustration is in fact an opportunity to you and your website. This opportunity is referred to as broken link building.
Broken link building may sound technical, however, it is among the best honest methods of getting other websites to link with yours. Links can be considered as votes of confidence, which can put your site on a higher position in search results in Google.
To find out why this is important, let us consider a few numbers:
- One of the top three ranking factors at Google is backlinks, which are links to other sites. Imagine they are the suggestions of one site to another.
- Ahrefs conducted a massive study that demonstrates that a lot of links on the web fail with time. This is called link rot. It produces millions of opportunities for you.
- A digital-marketing report claims that, on average, only 8 % of this email outreach succeeds. That is low, yet far better than requesting a link in the absence of any justification!
- Blog sites with useful content receive 97 % more links compared to sites without a blog. Broken link building is essential with good content.
This tutorial will take you through all you have to know about broken link building: a step-by-step guide in the easiest manner. No perplexities, no difficult measures. Only a clear strategy to assist you in creating connections, developing your site, and making you more noticeable online.
What Is Broken Link Building?
Suppose you are walking along in a library. There is a sign with the word history on it but it points to a blank wall. The sign is broken.
Suppose now you go to the librarian and say to him that the sign to the history section is pointing at an empty wall. I possess a new marker that will lead in the right direction. The librarian will be grateful as he/she will be able to correct the issue ,and the books can be located by visitors.
The same happens with broken link building except that it is done online.
Definition
Broken link building refers to the fact that you encounter links on other sites that are broken (they lead to a dead or non-existent page). You write a letter to the owner of the site, tell them about the broken link, and propose replacing it with the link to another similar page on your site.
You are not only asking me to do you a favor, but you are being helpful. That will assist the owners of those websites to consent and you will receive a good backlink.
Broken link building: step-by-step guide. It is a win‑win‑win situation:
- Website Owner Wins: The website owner is able to correct a mistake on his/her site and enhance the visitor experience. A site with numerous broken links appears unprofessional.
- Their Visitors Win: They do not fall to annoying 404 pages anymore.
- You Win: You receive a good-quality backlink that enhances the health and visibility of your site.
The benefits of Broken Link Building to your website.
Obtaining such backlinks is not about being good by assisting someone. Broken link building: step-by-step guide. It possesses actual, practical advantages to the success of your website.
It Enhances Your Search Engine position.
On a good site, Google regards it as a vote. The greater the number of votes on reputable sites, the better you are ranked in search results. The powerful backlink can push your site to the first page when individuals search for issues that you address.
It Increases the Authority of your Website.
Authority in the online world refers to the appearance of trustworthiness of your site. When a well-known university or news site links to your work, a portion of their credibility comes with you. A single connection with a high-ranking site can cause search engines to consider your site to be more trustworthy.
It Drives Referral Traffic
Referral traffic is obtained by clicking a link on another website to go to yours. In doing this, substituting the broken link with one to your content, you are creating a new portal to your site to that other audience. Visitors already have an interest in the topic, thus they are more likely to stick around and read more and become customers.
Broken link building is effective as it begins with value giving. You assist someone to repair a broken website link and the other person provides you with a link that boosts your rankings, authority and traffic.
How to Find Broken Links : Best Ways 2025
And now, the pleasant part is the treasure-hunt! Locating broken links on the internet may appear difficult when using the right techniques and tools it is not as difficult as it may appear. It can be done in a number of different ways, such as basic manual checks or with the help of potent software.
1. Manual Method
It is the simplest method of beginning and it is free. Broken link building: step-by-step guide. It is as though you were going through a library and verifying the signs.
- Identify a target site: Did you write a list of popular and older and respected sites in your niche? When blogging about gardening, search on popular examples of gardening blogs, college horticulture websites, or online magazines. Find pages that probably contain numerous links e.g. Resources, Useful Links, Recommended Reading or More Information.
- Go to the page: Click on one of these resource pages. There will be a list of links with other sites.
- Begin clicking: Systematically clicking all links. A broken link has been found when any link directs you to a page that reads: 404 Not Found, Page Not Found, or whatever.
- Note the result: Open a simple spreadsheet and make two entries: the URL of the page in which you have located the broken link, and the URL of the broken link.
The technique is time-consuming; however, it is free and will enable you to have a real feel of the websites you wish to receive links from.
2. Using SEO Tools
And in case you want to make it really fast, you can utilize special tools that are meant to do this task. A considerable number of them have free trials or free limited versions, which are ideal to begin with.
- Ahrefs: It is a powerful SEO tool that has a Site Explorer. Paste the URL of a large site in your niche into the Broken backlinks report. Ahrefs immediately indicates all the sites that link to a dead page. Find that list and contact them to propose your link as an alternative.
- SEMrush: SEMrush has an equivalent of Ahrefs Backlink Audit, called Backlink Audit. Breaking links that lead to a competitor’s site will be highlighted upon examination of a competitor’s site. This provides you with a list of sites ready to use.
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Final:
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider: This program is installable in your computer. It is a spider crawling style that crawls a web site, as Google follows. It crawls a complete site and indicates all the broken links. The free version allows crawling of up to 500 URLs which in many cases is sufficient with smaller to medium sites.
- Chrome extensions: It is a free and straightforward tool. Install it for Google Chrome. Navigate to any webpage, and find a broken link finder extension. It will immediately scan the webpage with all broken links displayed in red. This transforms the manual approach that is slow to a fast approach.
3. Finding Broken Links in Authoritative Sites.
One of the best plans is to find high-authority websites such as universities (.edu) or governmental bodies (.gov). These are very trusted sites by Google and hence a link with them is very valuable. They also have a tendency to retain the old materials, which are not updated, which is why they are likely to have broken links.
Specific search queries in Google. For example:
- site:.edu gardening resources
- site:.gov plant care + useful links.
The following searches will tell Google to display only the results of the search that are from .edu or .gov sites that contain pages containing the words resources or helpful links that are in the topic that you are researching. Go to those pages and go through the manual method or the broken link finder Chrome extension to locate broken links very easily.
Use Semrush’s Link Building Tool to find and recover lost backlinks. This includes broken and removed backlinks.
The first major step is to find the broken link. When you have a list, you are now prepared to make replacement content and begin to reach out.
4. Analyze Your Competitors’ Backlink Profiles
Use any of the SEO tool for backlink audit fpr your keywords ranking websites. Eg.
Step 1:
Step 2:
How to Prepare for Your Outreach
It is as difficult to find a broken connection as a locked door. You cannot simply tell the owner that the door is locked you must provide them with a key. Your high-quality content is the key, in this instance. This is the most significant step of the entire process of preparation. Broken link building: step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Determining what the Dead Resource was about.
You must comprehend what was present prior to being able to provide a replacement. Simply having an article on the dog training topic does not imply that it will be a good substitute for a broken link about the best dog food. The substitute has to be pertinent.
The Wayback machine (archive.org) is the most appropriate tool. This site is an enormous internet repository. Paste the deceased URL into its search box and it most often will provide you with a saved version of how the page used to look.
This is what the owner of the website originally wanted to be linked to. It provides you with an ideal outline of your substitute item.
Step 2: Verify the Broken URL
Occasionally, a site may be offline, or the link is ineffective to you due to network problems. Prior to contacting the owner of a site, ensure that the link is dead to all.
Search an online tool known as an HTTP Status Code Checker which is free. Copy the URL of the broken link and paste it in one of these tools and search a 404 Not Found or any other error. When you see that one, then you are sure that the connection is really lost. This will save you the embarrassment of sending an email to the owner of a site requesting a link that is not really a problem to them.
Step 3: Make Your Relevant Replacement Content.
Now you will be generating either new content or refining existing content to be the ideal replacement. You want to improve your content as compared to the one that vanished.
Here are your two options:
- Use existing materials– Use your own web page or blog. Do you already have an article, guide, or video that is equivalent to the dead resource? If so, great! All you need to do is to ensure that it is current, well-written and exhaustive. Perhaps a couple of new paragraphs or a new statistic would be an even better thing to do.
- Produce new content– You will need to produce new content when you do not have the appropriate piece. This is a common practice, as it is usually the most suitable way to go since you can make it special to be the ultimate replacement. As an example, when the old article was called Top 5 Tips for Growing Tomatoes, you can write a new and far superior guide, which would be called The Ultimate Growing Tomatoes Guide (15 Expert Tips + Videos).
Your alternative content is:
- Extremely topical: It talks about the same issue as the dead resource.
- Quality: It is clear and free of mistakes, well written.
- Comprehensive: It is more elaborate, more current, or more useful than the original.
- Appealing to the eye: It should be interesting by using pictures, videos, and proper formatting.
You are not merely soliciting a connection by creating a great alternative: you are providing a step up. This makes your request so convincing.
Broken Links: How to create Backlinks.
You’ve found the broken links. You have made fantastic alternative content. It is time to combine everything and contact the owners of the websites. This is the phase of outreach and the way you will communicate here will or will not make you successful.
Your Outreach Strategy: The Perfect Email
Your email must be friendly, helpful and concise. The owners of websites receive numerous spam mail messages and yours must be truly useful.
The user can make a basic, quick, template here:
- Topic: “A brief message regarding your site.
- Body:
Hi [Website Owner’s Name],
I found your article: [Link to their article] great today as I was doing research on [Your Topic]. I liked the section [mention something you liked]. It was very useful!
I wanted to tell you that there is a broken link on that page. The connection to [Name of the dead site/article] gives the page of not found.
A good substitute could be the guide that I have recently created on the same issue called [Name of Your Article]. Look at it here: [Connection to your article].
It may be effective to your readers.
In any case, I would like to wish you good luck in mending the broken link! Keep up the fantastic work.
Best,
[Your Name]
Why This Email Works
- Find the right person. Attempt to extract the first name on the About or Contact page of the site. The title Hi Sarah is stronger as compared to To Whom It May Concern.
- Begin with a real compliment. The opening line makes you read what they are actually about. Be specific.
- Be clear and specific. Give them the very broken link, and its place. This saves time.
- Offer your value politely. Suggest your content as an alternative but do not insist.
- Use a no‑pressure close. Either way, I hope this assists you by letting you know you are assisting them regardless of what they choose.
Finding New Broken Link Opportunities.
Broken link building: step-by-step guide. When you get the hang of it, you get a constant flow of new opportunities. These are some easy methods of filling your pipeline.
Using Google Search Operators
Search operators are the commands that assist you in filtering out results. They are instrumental in locating pages that contain links, known as resource pages.
Examples: Depending on the topic that you are studying, substitute the word keyword with that topic.
- • “keyword” + “resources”
- • “keyword” + “useful links”
- • “keyword” + “recommended sites”
- • inurl:links keyword (search results that contain in the URL links)
In case you have a guitar site, search:
- “learn guitar” + “resources”
This draws in pages containing curated resources of guitar. Such pages are usually old and may contain broken links. Let a Scan with Scan My Links extension scan them.
Monitor Competitor Backlinks for Broken URL
Your competitors have already developed numerous links. Finding out that links to them are made by other sites use such tools as Ahrefs or SEMrush. Such locations are the ideal targets.
Find the links that have been broken that would lead to your competitor. In case you happen to find one, you can politely tell them: I had noticed that you had been linking to a page on my competitor that is now broken. There is a more recent, superior resource I can refer to instead.
Identify Expired Domains and Niche-Specific Resources
This is a more sophisticated and potent approach. In some cases, an entire site or domain is allowed to lapse and the holder does not renew it. When that occurs all the links, which previously led to that site, have been broken.
You may utilize the tools that locate new expired domains within your niche. When you discover a domain that has a lot of good backlinks, you can either:
- Reconstruct the content: Wayback Machine shows you what the site had. Then do the same, but on your site, of high quality.
- Contact all those sites that were linking to the dead domain and inform them that the site has been removed, but you have created a new, valuable resource to replace the site.
- You can have dozens of quality links in a single campaign using this method.
Broken link building tools.
Broken link building can be done using a spreadsheet and a browser only, however, a couple of aids can accelerate the process. The following is a brief list of the most useful.
| Type | Key Features | Free Version / Trial | Best For |
| Ahrefs (Site Explorer) | Web-based SEO Tool | – Finds broken backlinks on any website- Shows referring domains- Provides metrics like Domain Rating (DR), URL Rating (UR) | Limited free version (via Webmaster Tools) |
| SEMrush (Backlink Audit) | Web-based SEO Tool | – Identifies broken links to competitors- Shows toxic or lost backlinks- Analyzes backlink quality and source | Free trial available |
| Screaming Frog SEO Spider | Desktop Application | – Crawls entire websites- Detects broken internal and external links- Exports data to spreadsheets | Free version allows up to 500 URLs |
| Check My Links (Chrome Extension) | Browser Extension | – Instantly scans web pages for broken links- Highlights working and broken links in real-time- Easy to use | Completely free |
| Wayback Machine (Archive.org) | Online Archive Tool | – Shows historical versions of dead pages- Helps rebuild or replicate lost content | Completely free |
| HTTP Status Code Checker | Online Tool | – Verifies link status codes (e.g., 404, 301, 500)- Confirms if a link is truly broken | Free to use |
| Hunter.io | Web-based Outreach Tool | – Finds website owner’s email addresses- Integrates with outreach spreadsheets | Free plan available with limited searches |
| Google Search Operators | Search Technique (Manual) | – Helps find resource pages and .edu/.gov sites- Custom queries like “keyword + resources” or “inurl:links” | Free (no software required) |
| Scan My Links | Browser Extension | – Similar to Check My Links- Scans web pages and lists broken links | Free |
Advanced Broken Link Building Strategies
Once you have mastered the fundamentals, you can attempt some more complex strategies in order to enhance your work.
Having Broken Links: Refurbishing Your Own Site.
Connection to your own site also breaks down at times. This may occur in case you erase a page, alter a URL or restructure your site. The links which are broken are worthless.
Apply a tool like the Broken backlinks report of Ahrefs on your domain. It gives all the sites which are linked to a dead page on yours.
It is not difficult to fix it, and you can choose one of two ways:
- 301 Redirect: Instructs the browsers and search engines that the page has been permanently relocated. Redirect the old page to a new live page. This is the instant restoration of the value of the link.
- Get in touch with the owner: Contact the owner and request him to switch the link to the right URL.
It is the least difficult process of building a link since the site has already been linked to you. They tend to be glad to repair a broken link.
The “Moving Man” Method
It is similar to broken link building except that you target those sites that have changed name, rebranded, or shifted to a new domain.
An example of this is that a company known as Steve Web Design may change to Future Web Solutions and change the name from stevesweb.com to futurewebsolutions.com.
When this occurs, they can forget to update old links. Identify such links using an SEO tool and then approach the sites with a message such as:
Hello, I have been referred to your resources page through your linking to Steve Web Designs. They have rebranded themselves to Future Web Solutions. Had a thought that you might like to refresh the link. Incidentally, as you are posting to web design sources, I do have a popular web design blog that your readers may find resourceful as well.
This is a good technique as you assist by providing new information and your suggestion is not forced.
How to get 100 Backlinks in 30 Days or Less: The Master Plan
It is a huge target but achievable in case you are focused and have a strict plan. The plan relies on numbers. Typically you make 28 percent outreach. You will have to have thousands of opportunities to get 100 backlinks and 1,500-2,000 emails. It works quickly, but requires effort.
Mindset: Volume and Quality
You have to be an outreach machine during a month and work several hours per day. Maintain the quality of the emails but make them personal. Strike the right balance between quantity and quality of emails.
Week 1: The Foundation (Days 1‑7)
This week’s objective: prepare to have a massive outreach campaign.
Day 1-2: Find or create your primary linkable asset. What do you have that is the best on your site? Possibly, it is some final guide, a free tool, a case study with lots of data, or a wonderful infographic. This will be your primary content that you will be offering as an alternative. In case you do not have one, then you have to go with something that outdoes all the rest.
Days 3‑5: Build your big content. In case you have something new to write, then write it now. Write an essay not a short one. Become the most valuable source about the subject. Add length, detail, numerous pictures, and tips. This will be your foundation of your campaign.
Days 6‑7: Set up your system. Create a Google Workbook and use the following columns; Target Page URL, Broken Link URL, Site Name, Contact, Email, Status (Emailed, Follow-up, Replied, Link), Notes.
Week 2: The Hunt (Days 8-14)
The only thing you need to do this week is to identify the opportunities of broken links and add them to your spreadsheet. You must get at least 700-800 prospects.
Days 8-10: Learn how to use Google operators. You can use all the operators such as key word + resources, inurl:links and so on. Browse through a lot of pages of results of each query. Check My Links is a service that you should run on every resource page that you visit to identify broken links. Enter every opportunity in your spreadsheet.
Days 11‑12: Scrape Competitors. Take a 30-day trial of your SEO tool and extract lists of back-links of your top 5-10 competitors. Look for their broken links. These are very valuable. Add every one to your list.
Find High-Authority Targets (13-14 days): Limit to resource pages in. Edu and.Gov websites. One connection in one of these sites is equal to ten connections in small blogs. Continue adding until you have numerous rows on your spreadsheet.
Week 3: The Outreach Blitz (Days 15‑21)
This is the busiest week. You have to make over 100 individualized emails in a day.
Find Contact Information Day: Go to the page of contacts, biography of an author, or Hunter.io. Enter your name and email in your spreadsheet.
Days 16‑21: Write and Send. Now run the campaign. You can use your email template, however you will change the first line or two of an email. Name the person and something that you like about his or her site. Do not use a generic, copy-and-paste e-mail. It will not work. Mark every email that you have sent in your spreadsheet as Emailed.
Week 4: The Follow-Up and The Wins (Days 22-30)
The task is not completed with the initial email. Follow-up obtains the majority of links.
Days 22‑28: Send Follow‑Ups. Look at your spreadsheet. To all individuals with whom you have corresponded, in Week 3, who have not responded, write a brief polite follow-up message. Keep sending new outreach messages to all remaining prospects. Respond when people are responding, respond fast and professionally.
Days 29‑30: Analyze and Celebrate. Congratulate yourself with every email that you receive, as Yes, I have updated the link! Insert live link URL in your spreadsheet. Review the results at the end of the month. Which kind of site was best answered? Which subject line worked? Take this information and use it to make the next campaign stronger.
This is a labor plan, though, you will have to persevere, and you will get results. You can receive 20, 30, or 40 good links in a month, and it is enough to transform the way your site will be ranked in Google.
Conclusion
Broken link building: step-by-step guide. It I s not an ingenious trick of SEO. It is all about making the web more connected and better. You discover some parts of the brokenness and provide a remedy. That brings the true value to site owners, their readers, and yourself.
It values diligence, usefulness and the production of quality material. It does not require an enormous budget to get strong backlinks. It only takes a good process, the appropriate tools and a desire to help.
And the next time you encounter a 404 page, do not be irritated. Imagine it as a chance that is to be taken.
FAQs
1. Is it difficult to do broken link building?
One does not need a great deal of understanding, yet it requires time and effort. The process is easy enough: locate a broken link, develop useful content and send an appreciative email. The key issue is how to do so in large scale.
2. What is the number of emails to send to obtain one link?
The success rate fluctuates, although the rule of thumb is 5 percent. It is as though you may have to make approximately 20 well-written, personalized emails to receive one backlink.
3. Will this land my website into trouble with Google?
No. Broken link building is a white-hat technique of SEO. It is morally right and acceptable by Google. You are not fooling anybody or going against the rules. You are brooming up the web, and getting links by their own.
4. Which step in the process is the most important?
The most important step would be to have high-quality replacement content. Your outreach email message may be flawless, yet when the content you present is not really useful.
